The Way We Were
by LaBellaDJalisco
Summary: A look into the lives of the future kings of Albion and the ones that called them friends.This is their journey of how they became the men we now know.Rated T for later chapters.


A/N:First Fic! This is of Logan and his brother the hero and through their wonder years. There is both OC and as well as other characters from the Fable saga. Which** I disclaim**.

P.S. I found naming my prince was very hard to do...probably was the only one, ha! Nevermind me ...continue please.

Chapter 1

The fragrance of lavender hung heavily in the air, mixed with the aroma of food from the vendor's carts placed throughout the streets. Meats, fruits, and vegetables all at one's fingertips. Apart from edible material, other shops sold clothing, weapons and gifts, even random miscellaneous items. Satisfying smiles could be seen upon the shoppers' faces. This was Bowerstone Market.

Once a small area, time itself had expanded it with more businesses and even homes, bringing in travelers from all parts, from the usual nearby townsfolk to even the royal court and its soldiers. It was the busiest place in Albion.

When it came to pests and nuisances, the market had it. Although a minor problem compared to rodents, thieves or killers, it still was a great cause for a headache to most. The notorious "Great Heroic Children"-or so they called themselves- were a group of noisy children whom all lived within the neighboring regions, whose leader was none other than Albion's oldest prince, Logan.

The market itself provided a meeting place for the rascals, their place of choice being right under the towering clock, a few yards from the castle's entrance. They had adventures that would take all day, going from place to place, from finding invaluable items to roaming the towns and sometimes involving running errands for the locals. Their imaginations were sparked by all the wild stories of heroes heard throughout Albion.

"Here they come," a lute player told nearby shopkeepers "It's adventure time," a few of them began to mutter under their breaths.

It wasn't exactly that the children were bad they just got into anything and everything, and would get loud and careless.

Always the first to arrive were the brothers of Silverpines, Alder and Oakley. They were both so eager to leave there chores at their dad's logging business. They were big and broad and appeared older than what they were, clearly the aftermath of their lumberjack participation. Nobody ever guessed their real age. Alder was eleven and Oakley was ten. Both were jokers but could be serious and quiet when needed. This could never be said about their next arriving companion. Percy of Millfields was the loudest and most talkative of the bunch. If they had ever been run off, it's guaranteed to have been Percy's fault. Apart from his rude comments and yelling, he was also bad about flirting with girls and had been known to go and steal kisses from them. The outcome was always different; some would be flattered, while others were insulted and more than likely seek justice with their hand to his face. This was still plenty of action for a young lad of ten years.

"Hey tree lovers," greeted Percy

The brothers exchanged looks "How do you figure that? When we actually chop them down?"

Percy snorted. "Yeah, well who cares." He turned his attention towards the entrance of the castle and waited for someone.

Alder and Oakley grinned at each other; they knew who he was waiting on and enjoyed teasing him."Aww, look at him, he looks like a little puppy eagerly waiting for his master," Alder told his brother.

"All except the master does not want to be found," replied Oakley.

"No, found is not the word. I think more like has no clue of this... _**thing**__**,**_" Alder joked pointing at Percy both boys started to laugh.

Percy shot them a glare.

The only girl that he respected and never dared tried anything funny with, was the very one that did not see him as more than a friend. This bothered him, because he was used to attention and getting his way.

As he turned towards the castle entrance he saw his dearest, accompanied by her twin brother, walk over to them.

Elise and Elliot -originally from the industrial side of Bowerstone-came to live at the castle with their father the head chef, when their mother died. They both were the most civil and friendly pair of the bunch. Although fraternal twins, they both possessed strikingly good looks for a pair of nine year olds. Elliot, with his seemingly attractive boyish face, had a charming personality that could make any town girl crazy. Yet he presented himself in a gentlemanly manner, staying quiet and respectful. These noble deeds always caused Percy to gripe about Elliot needing to be a man and take action, but soon would cease once Elise got involved. She was good for that, coming to her younger half's defense, not only for him but for all of them as well. She was a good and loyal friend. Elise, with her long thick golden locks and her doll-like face, was certainly the blue ribbon of the gang, as well as the only girl. Besides her beauty, she was a sharp youth whose consideration and kind personality won her many admirers, but like her brother she always turned a blind eye.

"So how is our golden pair doing today?" Alder cheerfully asked.

"Good, thank you" Elliot replied

"Ugh." Percy made a face of disapproval _he was just too polite _"So where is our fearless leader and... that shadow of his?"

Elise rolled her eyes "They are on their way...and a shadow can prove to be very beneficial."

"Ha! If you say so."

They heard the sound of the gates opening again and the tramping of feet and the familiar royal greeting

"Good Day, your highnesses."

A tall boy with a small boy behind him stepped into the limits of the Market, the rusted iron gates closing behind them. At a first glance no one would have suspected the boy's to be of royalty for they wore old clothing and shoes to play in. Anyone could easily mistake them for beggar children, but it was this that they both found to be comfortable. For them to be of royal blood they were never conceited, playing with other children of different classes proved this.

As they walked over, the rest of the group went to go meet them halfway.

"You all were last today. What gives?" Oakley asked

The taller dark headed boy sighed. "I know. Little guy, wanted to take his time with lunch and, well, father wouldn't let me go without him."

The small boy blushed and bowed his head.

Elise smiled at him and patted his back. "It's hard to finish with our dad's amazing chicken soup, huh?"

"We were behind as well," added Elliot. "Father had us help with cleaning the silverware."

This made the small boy give a shy smile.

"Well Logan," Alder said changing the subject, "We need to get going before it gets too late and dad begins to wonder where we went"

"Right. Let's just explore close by," Logan said "No need to go too far."

"Right" Percy sneered. "Don't want your shadow getting lost."

Logan sighed once more and looked down at his little brother. "We have to accept it. He is part of our group now"

Percy groaned "Don't remind us."

Logan scowled. "Remember who is in charge; if you don't like it, then leave."

"While you have all the fun?" Percy smirked "Besides, what would you do without me?"

"For starters it, would definitely be quieter...but I think that would be abnormal "Elliot assured him.

"He is of great importance," joked Oakley. "For every clique has its fool"

Percy made a face. "I am glad I am of use."

Logan chuckled. "Well today you _will_ be of use"

Everyone looked over at the older boy as he continued "Since you complained about it, you will be the nanny today."

"What!" But before Percy could even get a word out Logan ran off towards the bridge shouting behind him

"Let's go to the abandoned jailhouse!"

Percy groaned as he watched the twins and the woodcutters run after their leader.

Looking down at the small boy he said, "Come on, lets go," and walked off with the young prince following behind.

Seeing the others already making their way down the stairs of the bridge, Percy wanted to run to catch up but turned to find the boy slowly taking his time and looking around him.

Percy could see that this boy had lived a very sheltered life in the castle; by the way he would gaze at his surroundings.

It wasn't until three weeks ago that the young lad started joining them. Prior to this the boy would spend all his time with his mentor and royal knight Sir Walter Beck, and his mother, to whom he was very much attached. Due to the queen's sudden illness, the king had ordered Logan to bring his little brother along so their mother could rest. Hoping it would only take days for her to get better, ended up turning to weeks and the queen's health slowly declined.

Percy was not used to this babysitting ordeal. Being an only child, he took great comfort in not having any siblings to watch or share his things with.

He was spoiled and enjoyed it.

Getting annoyed , he wanted to call to the younger boy to hurry up but remembered he didn't even know his name .He recalled Logan telling them on their visits to the castle, but he never bothered listening since it wasn't of interest to him. In fact he didn't know anything of this boy except that he was Logan's younger brother and a prince of Albion.

The young lad noticed Percy waiting on him and ran up to him. They walked together onto the bridge and made their way down the stairs on the side.

"So what is your name, again?" Percy asked.

The boy looked up at him and answered, "Tristan"

"How old are you?"

"Eight."

"Humph, by your stature and curiosity I would have thought five" And Percy quickly added, "Then why do you need looking after…and why am I having to do it?"

Tristan sighed "My parents are just over-protective" and quickly added "It's not necessary anyway, I can take care of myself"

Percy only looked at him. He understood that he was the youngest but why did the king insist on looking out for him so much, he never recalled Logan being treated this way.

Silence fell between them and Percy wondered what the gang was getting into or what they had already discovered, glancing over at Tristan who was now keeping up. If it wasn't for him watching the short boy, he could have been enjoying himself too, and maybe _accidently_ getting lost with Elise. With that thought in mind, he quickened his steps. Stepping onto the cobblestones and passing a few tables and vending carts along the riverbank, they came across a big black door on the left, now arriving at their destination.

Both boys stepped into a dark hallway with shelves going through an arch at the end of the hall to meet a door. Light came from beneath as well as the voices of the other children.

Telling Tristan to step back, Percy kicked open the door and jumped out and growled at the small crowd.

Nobody jumped or looked bothered. It only caused Alder to throw an old ripped book at Percy. "You all took your sweet time."

"Well you know, we had to fight off some thieves that were trying to pick our pockets," Percy joked as he pulled out a seat from a nearby table.

"Aw, don't be selfish," Oakley replied. "Give a little," He sat at one of the tables in the large room with his brother across from him. Elise and Elliot shared the next table and Logan sat at the big desk in the front.

"Sit down Trist...you're not going to grow anytime soon" Logan pointed to the seat across from Percy. The young boy walked over and sat down.

The old jailhouse was a good-sized place. The front room that the children occupied was once a break room and booking area. The room had old books and magazines scattered everywhere. Ripped posters hung on the walls. Hallways from the large sized area lead to multiple rooms and cells.

Tristan's eyes searched the whole room, taking in everything he saw. It was his first time here at the jailhouse, and it sure did beat the other times when they played out in the sewers or out in the alleys. This was one of the many private areas that the children had.

Elise noticing Tristan's attention on the room got up. "You want to see the rest of the area? Come on I'll show you," she added heading towards the hallway on the left past Logan.

Tristan got up and followed her and they both left the room, leaving the other boys to talk about what they were planning on doing.

Percy watched them leave and wondered why Elise could never be so kind and helpful to him. He couldn't help but feel a little bit jealous.

"So how about a game of cards?" Logan asked, digging through the desk to find the deck.

"Only if Percy doesn't cheat," Elliot replied from behind an old book he was looking at.

"Well we all know the answer to that one, so onto the next game," cried Oakley

"Let's read these logbooks and see if we could find anybody we know who has been incarcerated," suggested Elliot.

"Where is the fun in that?" Percy responded, kicking an old opened can across the room, where it rolled over near Alder.

"Our father spent a night here once," the well-built boy replied kicking it back to Percy and turning it into a game.

"For what?" Logan asked

"Brawling. Once boozed up the old man always enjoyed a good brawl, whether he started it or watched"

"Either way he always ended up in the middle of the mess, and then get taken to jail" Oakley added.

"So then I assume he has been here more than once," Elliot asked, raising a brow.

"Yeah, probably"

All the boys laughed, their laughter echoing through the halls and into one of the rooms that Elise and Tristan were in.

"I guess something is funny," he told her looking back down the hall.

Elise smiled. "They're easily amused."

Turning his attention back on the room, he noticed some firearms on a vertical gun rack in the corner and walked over to them.

Elise watched as he examined the long-barreled guns "It's strange how they would leave those here; you would think that they would be of use to the guards."

"They're the older models" Tristan replied. "Muzzle-loaders"

"You know about guns" Elise asked "So what does that mean?"

"Slower loading time and cleaning and clogging were a hassle." Tristan put the rifle back in its place. "Now they're breech-loading"

"Hmm...Good to know," Elise told him.

She was surprised to know the boy had knowledge of the weapon in question. What mostly surprised her was that he spoke, for he was always quiet. This was her first actual conversation with him and she wanted to know more about him.

"Did the king train you on this?" she asked

He shook his head. "My mentor Walter. He has taught me a lot of what he knows." The boy walked past her and entered the next room which had only cells. "My father was the storyteller; he would tell me and Logan of all his adventures, but that ended awhile back."

"The king is a busy man." Elise assured him.

"Especially now, since mother is ill" The boy bowed his head.

"I am sorry about your mother. I hope she gets better soon." Elise smiled and patted his back. It amazed her how easy he was to talk to. All these weeks he hadn't said a word to her and here she found him spilling his worries out. In the castle they never spoke, so she was glad he had come out to join them but remembered quickly the only reason why the king allowed it "I do hope you can continue to come once she is well"

Tristan smiled. "That's kind of you, but I am sure I am more of an annoyance and well maybe my father will have a change of heart"

Elise wrinkled her nose. "If you mean by Percy, ignore him. He will get over it, but try to be a little more social and I hope your father does too"

Tristan smiled and felt more at ease. The truth was that he had been enjoying himself and for once wasn't lonely, being always kept indoors sure had its toll.

They continued exploring through the rooms, looking through all the packed away items and conversing. They soon reached the hallway that brought them back out into the large open room.

Alder and Logan were arm-wrestling, while surprisingly, Percy and Oakley were joining Elliot in his reading of the big logbook.

Percy was the first to note their entrance. He eyed them both carefully before saying, "Were you counting cracks? It sure took you two long enough."

Logan looked up at them "Oh hey, so what did you think Trist? It's pretty big, huh?"

Tristan nodded "Yeah, I think I could get used to this"

Alder took advantage of Logan's distraction to pin his arm down "I win!" he shouted, causing Logan to groan.

"You won't believe the number of times dad has been in the slammer," Oakley said

"You found him?" Alder asked.

"Of course; it's all recorded here," Elliot replied. "According to the book, eighteen times" He turned towards his sister "Father made it in here as well."

Elise's eyes grew big. "For what? Let me see." She walked over to them and sat down.

"For indecent exposure," Percy replied pointing at a line of text in the book. "Ha! It says personal belongings: one chef's hat"

Everyone broke out into laughter.

"I can't believe this," Elise said, wiping off tears from laughing so hard.

"Well, believe the fine print," Elliot told her.

"It seems like our parents enjoyed their yo-" Logan began, but was interrupted by the sound of the main door opening and footsteps behind it.

The group got quiet suddenly.

Logan motioned for everyone to go to the back rooms. Quickly and quietly, they made their way to the back.

"Idiot. You forgot to lock the door," Logan hissed at Percy

Percy groaned as he slid behind a cart to hide from the intruder and Logan.

Everyone else did the same and took cover.

"I wonder who it could be," Logan whispered; a part of him wanted to creep back and take a look, but he remained where he was out of mild fear.

"Come on out!" A gruffly voice shouted from the main room. "I know your'e here."

Everyone remained hidden and quiet. Logan found a steel rod near him and held it tightly and prepared himself.

There was a loud clank and then: "Balls! I am getting too old for this."

Tristan stood up recognizing that voice. "It's Walter"

The children sighed and began to get out from their spots, walking back into the main room where Walter sat on the floor holding his leg.

"Ah. There you all are." Walter held out a hand. "Quickly, help me up."

Alder and Oakley rushed over and helped the larger man to his feet.

"What happened to you?" Percy said.

"I tripped over this stupid can" Walter replied, pointing to the can the boys had been playing with earlier. He straightened up and walked towards the door. "Let's go, it's getting near dinnertime, and I am pretty sure everyone needs to go clean up"

"That time already, huh? Man, does time fly when you're having fun," Alder replied and all the children agreed as they exited the place with Logan locking the door behind them.

"Ah! I knew you had the key I was looking for it earlier."

"For what?" Logan asked.

"Your father wanted me to come and fetch something for the soldiers over at the training camp."

"What could they possibly want from this place? everything is so old," Logan told the older man

"The weapons they have put up, they want them for training purposes." Walter looked at them "Which I very much hope you all haven't been messing with." This caused Elise and Tristan to exchange looks and smiles.

Outside, the familiar scents reached their noses. Their eyes were sore due to the bright daylight. They walked along the riverbank and towards the stairs to the bridge where Percy and the Silverpines brothers said their farewells and left, leaving Walter, the twins and the princes to head towards the castle.

A/N:If you made it down here I congratulate and thank you. Plenty more to come. Please review if you may... anything is welcomed.

P.S.. let's see if anyone can guess what the "old jailhouse" is in the game XD


End file.
